What Do People Do?

Yom Yerushalayim is marked with a range of events in many Jewish communities. These include: recitations of the Hallel prayer for praise and thanksgiving in synagogues; street parades, parties, singing and dancing; special meals; and lectures on the history and future of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, a public reception by the mayor of Jerusalem, state ceremonies and memorial services for those who died in the Six-Day War are also held. In Israel, some people mark the occasion by traveling or even hiking to Jerusalem.

Public Life

Yom Yerushalayim is a national and Hebrew holiday in Israel. Schools are closed, but it is a working day in many businesses. It is not a public holiday in countries such as United States, the UK, Canada, or Australia. However, many Jewish organizations in these countries may be closed or offer a limited service so special events can be held.

Background

After Israel declared its independence in 1948, it was attacked by the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in the Arab-Israeli War. At the end of this war, the city of Jerusalem was divided. Israeli forces controlled most of the city and East Jerusalem, including the Old City, was controlled by Jordanian forces. The Old City was important for strategic and religious reasons, as many sites of religious importance are in this part of the city. These include: the Dome of the Rock and al-Asqa Mosque (Muslims); the Temple Mount and the Western Wall or Kotel (Jewish); and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christian).

On June 7, 1967, one day into the Six-Day War, Israeli forces captured the old city of Jerusalem. This resulted in the reunification of Jerusalem as part of Israel. According to the Hebrew calendar, it was the 28th day of the month of Iyar in the year 5727 and the anniversary of this date is known as Yom Yerushalayim or Jerusalem Day.

The 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem was in 2007. The slogan for the celebrations in this year translates as "Something special for everyone", with a play on the Hebrew words for "special" and "united". A special logo representing the number 40 and the city walls was presented and the approach to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv was decorated with blue lighting.

Jerusalem Day Observances

Showing:

Year

Weekday

Date

Name

Holiday Type

2015

Sun

May 17

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2016

Sun

Jun 5

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2017

Wed

May 24

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2018

Sun

May 13

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2019

Sun

Jun 2

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2020

Fri

May 22

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2021

Mon

May 10

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2022

Sun

May 29

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2023

Fri

May 19

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2024

Wed

Jun 5

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

2025

Mon

May 26

Jerusalem Day

National holiday

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